(Wednesday, April 30, 2025)

The Senate met at 7:39 p.m. pursuant to adjournment and was called to order by Senator Flores.

The roll was called and the following Senators were present:  Alvarado, Bettencourt, Birdwell, Blanco, Campbell, Cook, Creighton, Eckhardt, Flores, Gutierrez, Hagenbuch, Hall, Hancock, A. Hinojosa, J. Hinojosa, Huffman, Hughes, Johnson, King, Kolkhorst, Menéndez, Middleton, Miles, Nichols, Parker, Paxton, Perry, Schwertner, Sparks, West, Zaffirini.

The Presiding Officer announced that a quorum of the Senate was present.

Senator Campbell offered the invocation as follows:

Heavenly Father, I pray blessings over this body, and I pray that everybody here knows You. I pray that we would pass legislation that is in line with Your kingdom policies. And, Lord, as we move through this busy time, give us sincerity, serenity, and sanity. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Senator Zaffirini moved that the reading of the Journal of the proceedings of the previous day be dispensed with and the Journal be approved as printed.

The motion prevailed without objection.

The following bill was introduced, read first time, and referred to the committee indicated:

SB 3063 by Nichols

Relating to the creation of the Bayou Belle Municipal Management District No. 1; granting a limited power of eminent domain; providing authority to issue bonds; providing authority to impose assessments, fees, and taxes.

To Committee on Local Government.

The following bills and resolutions received from the House were read first time and referred to the committees indicated:

HB 109 to Committee on Health and Human Services.

HB 114 to Committee on Veteran Affairs.

HB 388 to Committee on Health and Human Services.

HB 421 to Committee on Criminal Justice.

HB 431 to Committee on Business and Commerce.

HB 879 to Committee on Health and Human Services.

HB 1244 to Committee on Local Government.

HB 1399 to Committee on Local Government.

HB 1445 to Committee on Criminal Justice.

HB 1672 to Committee on Transportation.

HB 1695 to Committee on Transportation.

HB 1734 to Committee on Jurisprudence.

HB 1875 to Committee on Veteran Affairs.

HB 1893 to Committee on Economic Development.

HB 1950 to Committee on Economic Development.

HB 2152 to Committee on Business and Commerce.

HB 2217 to Committee on Criminal Justice.

HB 2558 to Committee on Jurisprudence.

HB 2559 to Committee on Local Government.

HB 2775 to Committee on Transportation.

HB 2789 to Committee on Health and Human Services.

HB 2809 to Committee on Health and Human Services.

HB 2856 to Committee on Education K-16.

HB 3012 to Committee on Transportation.

HB 3126 to Committee on Education K-16.

HB 3135 to Committee on Transportation.

HB 3163 to Committee on Criminal Justice.

HB 3229 to Committee on Business and Commerce.

HB 3306 to Committee on Business and Commerce.

HB 3513 to Committee on Criminal Justice.

HB 3770 to Committee on Economic Development.

HB 4134 to Committee on Business and Commerce.

HCR 56 to Committee on Administration.

HCR 102 to Committee on Business and Commerce.

HJR 5 to Committee on Education K-16.

HJR 98 to Committee on State Affairs.

The Presiding Officer announced that the introduction of bills and resolutions on first reading would be further postponed until the end of today's calendar.

There was no objection.

The Presiding Officer announced the signing of the following enrolled bills in the presence of the Senate after the captions had been read:

SB 487, SB 513, SB 711, SB 836, SB 1038, SB 1058, SB 1145, SB 1147, SB 1409, SB 1499, SB 1697, SB 1809, SB 1879.

The Presiding Officer at 7:44 p.m. announced the conclusion of morning call.

Senator Sparks moved to suspend the regular order of business to take up for consideration SB 619 at this time on its third reading and final passage:

SB 619, Relating to protection of persons from participation in a health care service for reasons of conscience; providing a civil remedy; authorizing disciplinary action.

The motion prevailed by the following vote:  Yeas 20, Nays 11.

Yeas:  Bettencourt, Birdwell, Campbell, Creighton, Flores, Hagenbuch, Hall, Hancock, A. Hinojosa, Huffman, Hughes, King, Kolkhorst, Middleton, Nichols, Parker, Paxton, Perry, Schwertner, Sparks.

Nays:  Alvarado, Blanco, Cook, Eckhardt, Gutierrez, J. Hinojosa, Johnson, Menéndez, Miles, West, Zaffirini.

The bill was read third time and was passed by the following vote:  Yeas 20, Nays 11. (Same as previous roll call)

Senator Kolkhorst moved to suspend the regular order of business to take up for consideration SB 324 at this time on its third reading and final passage:

SB 324, Relating to requiring state contractors, political subdivisions of this state, and private employers to participate in the federal electronic verification of employment authorization program, or E-verify.

The motion prevailed by the following vote:  Yeas 19, Nays 12.

Yeas:  Bettencourt, Birdwell, Campbell, Creighton, Flores, Hagenbuch, Hall, Hancock, A. Hinojosa, Huffman, Hughes, King, Kolkhorst, Middleton, Parker, Paxton, Perry, Schwertner, Sparks.

Nays:  Alvarado, Blanco, Cook, Eckhardt, Gutierrez, J. Hinojosa, Johnson, Menéndez, Miles, Nichols, West, Zaffirini.

The bill was read third time and was passed by the following vote:  Yeas 19, Nays 12. (Same as previous roll call)

Senator West moved to suspend the regular order of business to take up for consideration SB 646 at this time on its third reading and final passage:

SB 646, Relating to repayment of certain mental health professional education loans.

The motion prevailed by the following vote:  Yeas 23, Nays 8.

Yeas:  Alvarado, Bettencourt, Birdwell, Blanco, Cook, Eckhardt, Flores, Gutierrez, Hall, Hancock, A. Hinojosa, J. Hinojosa, Johnson, King, Menéndez, Miles, Nichols, Parker, Paxton, Perry, Schwertner, West, Zaffirini.

Nays:  Campbell, Creighton, Hagenbuch, Huffman, Hughes, Kolkhorst, Middleton, Sparks.

The bill was read third time and was passed by the following vote:  Yeas 25, Nays 6.

Yeas:  Alvarado, Bettencourt, Birdwell, Blanco, Cook, Eckhardt, Flores, Gutierrez, Hagenbuch, Hall, Hancock, A. Hinojosa, J. Hinojosa, Hughes, Johnson, King, Menéndez, Miles, Nichols, Parker, Paxton, Perry, Schwertner, West, Zaffirini.

Nays:  Campbell, Creighton, Huffman, Kolkhorst, Middleton, Sparks.

Senator Hughes moved to suspend the regular order of business to take up for consideration SB 1026 at this time on its third reading and final passage:

SB 1026, Relating to the duty of the attorney general to prosecute criminal offenses prescribed by the election laws of this state.

The motion prevailed by the following vote:  Yeas 19, Nays 12.

Yeas:  Bettencourt, Birdwell, Campbell, Creighton, Flores, Hagenbuch, Hall, Hancock, A. Hinojosa, Huffman, Hughes, King, Kolkhorst, Middleton, Parker, Paxton, Perry, Schwertner, Sparks.

Nays:  Alvarado, Blanco, Cook, Eckhardt, Gutierrez, J. Hinojosa, Johnson, Menéndez, Miles, Nichols, West, Zaffirini.

The bill was read third time and was passed by the following vote:  Yeas 19, Nays 12. (Same as previous roll call)

Senator Hall moved to suspend the regular order of business to take up for consideration SB 1065 at this time on its third reading and final passage:

SB 1065, Relating to a required provision in certain governmental entity contracts regarding the carrying of handguns by license holders; providing civil penalties.

The motion prevailed by the following vote:  Yeas 20, Nays 11.

Yeas:  Bettencourt, Birdwell, Campbell, Creighton, Flores, Hagenbuch, Hall, Hancock, A. Hinojosa, Huffman, Hughes, King, Kolkhorst, Middleton, Nichols, Parker, Paxton, Perry, Schwertner, Sparks.

Nays:  Alvarado, Blanco, Cook, Eckhardt, Gutierrez, J. Hinojosa, Johnson, Menéndez, Miles, West, Zaffirini.

The bill was read third time and was passed by the following vote:  Yeas 20, Nays 11. (Same as previous roll call)

Senator Birdwell moved to suspend the regular order of business to take up for consideration SB 1754 at this time on its third reading and final passage:

SB 1754, Relating to the authority of a taxing unit to enter into an agreement to exempt from ad valorem taxation a portion of the value of property on which a renewable energy facility is located or is planned to be located.

The motion prevailed by the following vote:  Yeas 19, Nays 12.

Yeas:  Bettencourt, Birdwell, Campbell, Creighton, Flores, Hagenbuch, Hall, Hancock, A. Hinojosa, Huffman, Hughes, King, Kolkhorst, Middleton, Parker, Paxton, Perry, Schwertner, Sparks.

Nays:  Alvarado, Blanco, Cook, Eckhardt, Gutierrez, J. Hinojosa, Johnson, Menéndez, Miles, Nichols, West, Zaffirini.

The bill was read third time and was passed by the following vote:  Yeas 19, Nays 12. (Same as previous roll call)

Senator Parker moved to suspend the regular order of business to take up for consideration CSSB 2330 at this time on its third reading and final passage:

CSSB 2330, Relating to payroll deductions for certain state and local government employee organizations.

The motion prevailed by the following vote:  Yeas 19, Nays 12.

Yeas:  Bettencourt, Birdwell, Campbell, Creighton, Flores, Hagenbuch, Hall, Hancock, A. Hinojosa, Huffman, Hughes, King, Kolkhorst, Middleton, Parker, Paxton, Perry, Schwertner, Sparks.

Nays:  Alvarado, Blanco, Cook, Eckhardt, Gutierrez, J. Hinojosa, Johnson, Menéndez, Miles, Nichols, West, Zaffirini.

The bill was read third time and was passed by the following vote:  Yeas 19, Nays 12. (Same as previous roll call)

Senator Perry moved to suspend the regular order of business to take up for consideration SB 2693 at this time on its third reading and final passage:

SB 2693, Relating to the role of advocacy and support groups in the juvenile justice system.

The motion prevailed by the following vote:  Yeas 21, Nays 10.

Yeas:  Bettencourt, Birdwell, Campbell, Creighton, Flores, Hagenbuch, Hall, Hancock, A. Hinojosa, J. Hinojosa, Huffman, Hughes, King, Kolkhorst, Middleton, Nichols, Parker, Paxton, Perry, Schwertner, Sparks.

Nays:  Alvarado, Blanco, Cook, Eckhardt, Gutierrez, Johnson, Menéndez, Miles, West, Zaffirini.

The bill was read third time and was passed by the following vote:  Yeas 21, Nays 10. (Same as previous roll call)

Senator Hagenbuch moved to suspend the regular order of business to take up for consideration CSSB 2742 at this time on its third reading and final passage:

CSSB 2742, Relating to the enforcement of electioneering prohibitions and the unlawful use of public funds for political advertising; imposing civil penalties.

The motion prevailed by the following vote:  Yeas 21, Nays 10.

Yeas:  Bettencourt, Birdwell, Campbell, Creighton, Flores, Hagenbuch, Hall, Hancock, A. Hinojosa, J. Hinojosa, Huffman, Hughes, King, Kolkhorst, Middleton, Parker, Paxton, Perry, Schwertner, Sparks, West.

Nays:  Alvarado, Blanco, Cook, Eckhardt, Gutierrez, Johnson, Menéndez, Miles, Nichols, Zaffirini.

The bill was read third time and was passed by the following vote:  Yeas 21, Nays 10. (Same as previous roll call)

Senator Creighton moved to suspend the regular order of business to take up for consideration CSSB 2858 at this time on its third reading and final passage:

CSSB 2858, Relating to state preemption of certain municipal and county regulation.

The motion prevailed by the following vote:  Yeas 19, Nays 12.

Yeas:  Bettencourt, Birdwell, Campbell, Creighton, Flores, Hagenbuch, Hall, Hancock, A. Hinojosa, Huffman, Hughes, King, Kolkhorst, Middleton, Parker, Paxton, Perry, Schwertner, Sparks.

Nays:  Alvarado, Blanco, Cook, Eckhardt, Gutierrez, J. Hinojosa, Johnson, Menéndez, Miles, Nichols, West, Zaffirini.

The bill was read third time and was passed by the following vote:  Yeas 19, Nays 12. (Same as previous roll call)

Senator Hughes moved to suspend the regular order of business to take up for consideration CSSB 2880 at this time on its third reading and final passage:

CSSB 2880, Relating to abortion, including civil liability for distribution of abortion-inducing drugs; making conforming changes and harmonizing conforming provisions; authorizing a private civil right of action.

The motion prevailed by the following vote:  Yeas 19, Nays 11, Present-not voting 1.

Yeas:  Bettencourt, Birdwell, Campbell, Creighton, Flores, Hagenbuch, Hall, Hancock, A. Hinojosa, Huffman, Hughes, King, Kolkhorst, Middleton, Parker, Paxton, Perry, Schwertner, Sparks.

Nays:  Alvarado, Blanco, Cook, Eckhardt, Gutierrez, J. Hinojosa, Johnson, Menéndez, Miles, West, Zaffirini.

Present-not voting:  Nichols.

The bill was read third time and was passed by the following vote:  Yeas 19, Nays 11, Present-not voting 1. (Same as previous roll call)

Senators Alvarado, Blanco, Cook, Eckhardt, Gutierrez, J. Hinojosa, Johnson, Menéndez, Miles, West, and Zaffirini, submitted the following statement regarding SB 2880:

Senate Bill 2880 is an extreme overreach of state power that creates a de facto abortion travel ban, weaponizing civil penalties to intimidate and punish those who support a Texas woman's decision to seek reproductive care—including lawful care in other states. While Texans have a constitutional right to travel, this bill targets that freedom by threatening family members, friends, doctors and anyone else who assists someone in accessing medication abortion outside Texas.

The real purpose of this bill is fear. Whether lawsuits succeed or not, the threat alone deters support, isolates pregnant Texans and undermines public trust in the legal system. The bill tells Texas women: you're alone. And it tells doctors, family members, clergy and out-of-state providers: help them and you're next. Chillingly, the bill also provides new tools to abusive partners, allowing them to sue, weaponize private medical information and further control survivors.

The bill expands on the vigilante-style civil enforcement mechanism first seen in S.B. 8 (the "bounty hunter" law), which encourages private citizens to sue anyone who "aids or abets" an abortion. S.B. 2880 builds on that strategy with specific, sweeping provisions aimed at medication abortion with an outrageous $100,000 penalty. It creates new civil liability for anyone who manufactures, mails, transports, delivers, prescribes or provides abortion-inducing drugs—even if that support happens entirely outside Texas. This includes liability through wrongful death or personal injury claims and exposes anyone who supports Texas women to harassment and financial ruin.

Notably, S.B. 2880 includes a provision to block judicial review, asserting that Texas courts lack jurisdiction to consider or invalidate any part of the bill. At the same time, it extends the $100,000 penalty to judges who dare to review the law and find it unconstitutional as well as attorneys who dare to represent clients in those proceedings.

Most egregious, S.B. 2880 quietly revives Texas's pre-Roe abortion ban and treats it as enforceable despite court rulings that have enjoined it. By explicitly incorporating the 1925 law into the bill's definition of "criminal abortion law," S.B. 2880 opens the door to both civil and potentially criminal action under a long-superseded legal framework. This 1925 law does not exclude pregnant women from prosecution and explicitly criminalizes "furnishing the means" of abortion—a vague clause that could be used to target those who assist with abortion-related travel.

The bill author has refused to address this critical and dangerous loophole—one he willingly fixed in S.B. 31. By declining to ensure that the outdated and punitive 1925 abortion law is not revived through S.B. 2880, the bill author is actively opening the door to the criminalization of women seeking out-of-state abortion care as well as anyone who helps them including spouses, friends and loved ones.

This threat is not theoretical; it is written directly into the text. In SUBCHAPTER F, Section 171A.351, the bill defines "criminal abortion law" to include "any law of this state imposing criminal penalties on abortion, including Chapter 6-1/2, Title 71, Revised Statutes." That language refers explicitly to the 1925 statute which, again, does not exclude pregnant women from prosecution and specifically criminalizes "furnishing the means" for any abortion not deemed a medical emergency. This clause—which appears in no other abortion law currently on the books in Texas—can be interpreted to criminalize those who help someone obtain legal abortion care in another state. Its quiet reactivation through S.B. 2880 poses an unprecedented threat.

The bill author claimed that provisions explicitly criminalizing travel were removed from the original version of the bill. However, if S.B. 2880 revives a law that already criminalizes abortion-related travel assistance, then that reassurance rings hollow.

Furthermore, Section 171A.352(b) grants the Attorney General sweeping authority to sue these individuals for "civil damages or injunctive relief." In doing so, S.B. 2880 not only revives criminal exposure—it empowers the Attorney General to enforce it through civil litigation, dramatically expanding state authority to pursue and punish Texans for exercising a constitutionally protected right to travel.

In its current form, S.B. 2880 is a backdoor effort to fully reinstate the 1925 law. It is a vote to criminalize women, trap them within the borders of Texas and to threaten anyone who tries to help them—regardless of whether the abortion occurs legally in another state. This includes survivors of rape and incest and those facing lethal fetal diagnoses. It is harsher than any abortion law currently on the books and it represents a deliberate step backward into an era of cruelty, surveillance and state control over private medical decisions.

Texans deserve compassion and clarity, not intimidation. S.B. 2880 is an unconstitutional, overreaching and harmful bill that must be stopped. The consequences for Texas women—and anyone who supports them—are too severe.

On motion of Senator Hughes and by unanimous consent, Senate Rule 11.10(a) and Senate Rule 11.18(a) were suspended in order that the Committee on State Affairs might meet at 8:45 p.m. today in the Senate Chamber at Desk 1.

On motion of Senator Hall and by unanimous consent, the remarks regarding SB 2880 were ordered reduced to writing and printed in the Senate Journal.

The remarks will be printed in an addendum to this day's Journal.

On motion of Senator Hughes, Senator Blanco will be shown as Co-author of SB 313.

On motion of Senator Creighton, Senator Kolkhorst will be shown as Co-author of SB 317.

On motion of Senator Kolkhorst, Senator Huffman will be shown as Co-author of SB 324.

On motion of Senator Kolkhorst, Senators Campbell and Schwertner will be shown as Co-authors of SB 457.

On motion of Senator West, Senator Blanco will be shown as Co-author of SB 584.

On motion of Senator Zaffirini, Senator Menéndez will be shown as Co-author of SB 800.

On motion of Senator Hall, Senators Creighton and Hagenbuch will be shown as Co-authors of SB 1065.

On motion of Senator Eckhardt, Senator Kolkhorst will be shown as Co-author of SB 1285.

On motion of Senator Middleton, Senators Menéndez and Miles will be shown as Co-authors of SB 1383.

On motion of Senator Zaffirini, Senator Menéndez will be shown as Co-author of SB 1568.

On motion of Senator Hughes, Senator Kolkhorst will be shown as Co-author of SB 1585.

On motion of Senator Paxton, Senator Middleton will be shown as Co-author of SB 1844.

On motion of Senator Middleton, Senators Creighton and Hall will be shown as Co-authors of SB 1972.

On motion of Senator Hall, Senators Hagenbuch and A. Hinojosa will be shown as Co-authors of SB 1980.

On motion of Senator Hagenbuch, Senator Menéndez will be shown as Co-author of SB 2007.

On motion of Senator Birdwell, Senator Johnson will be shown as Co-author of SB 2050.

On motion of Senator Paxton, Senator Eckhardt will be shown as Co-author of SB 2310.

On motion of Senator Parker, Senator Creighton will be shown as Co-author of SB 2330.

On motion of Senator Hughes, Senator A. Hinojosa will be shown as Co-author of SB 2366.

On motion of Senator Hancock, Senator West will be shown as Co-author of SB 2544.

On motion of Senator Perry, Senator Zaffirini will be shown as Co-author of SB 2660.

On motion of Senator Perry, Senator Menéndez will be shown as Co-author of SB 2662.

On motion of Senator Menéndez, Senator Blanco will be shown as Co-author of SB 2717.

On motion of Senator Cook, Senator Perry will be shown as Co-author of SB 2728.

On motion of Senator Creighton, Senator Bettencourt will be shown as Co-author of SB 2858.

On motion of Senator Hughes, Senators Creighton and King will be shown as Co-authors of SB 2880.

On motion of Senator Cook, Senator Perry will be shown as Co-author of SB 2891.

On motion of Senator Sparks, Senator Perry will be shown as Co-author of SB 2930.

On motion of Senator Menéndez, Senator Blanco will be shown as Co-author of SB 2938.

On motion of Senator Hagenbuch, Senator Hall will be shown as Co-author of SB 2943.

On motion of Senator Campbell, Senator Middleton will be shown as Co-author of SB 2986.

On motion of Senator Blanco, Senator Zaffirini will be shown as Co-author of SCR 41.

On motion of Senator Kolkhorst, Senator Blanco will be shown as Co-sponsor of HB 26.

On motion of Senator A. Hinojosa, Senators Bettencourt and Blanco will be shown as Co-sponsors of HCR 35.

On motion of Senator Zaffirini, the Senate at 8:44 p.m. recessed until 10:00 a.m. tomorrow.

The following committee reports were received by the Secretary of the Senate in the order listed:

EDUCATION K-16 — SB 1551, SB 3039

STATE AFFAIRS — SB 2819

JURISPRUDENCE — SB 66, CSSB 629, CSSB 1015, SB 2342, CSSB 2903, CSSB 2933

LOCAL GOVERNMENT — CSSB 1965, CSSB 2477, HB 1392, HB 22, SB 3029, SB 2605, SB 2419, SB 1957, SB 375, SB 250, CSSB 777, CSSB 628, SB 2523, SB 2367, SB 2703, SB 2608, SB 2778, SB 3044, SB 2965, SB 2521

EDUCATION K-16 — CSSB 865

SB 127, SB 324, SB 506, SB 529, SB 584, SB 619, SB 646, SB 659, SB 735, SB 771, SB 784, SB 800, SB 1026, SB 1049, SB 1065, SB 1383, SB 1531, SB 1568, SB 1681, SB 1754, SB 1972, SB 1980, SB 2007, SB 2041, SB 2046, SB 2050, SB 2080, SB 2225, SB 2306, SB 2308, SB 2330, SB 2366, SB 2392, SB 2544, SB 2610, SB 2660, SB 2662, SB 2693, SB 2742, SB 2807, SB 2843, SB 2844, SB 2858, SB 2880, SB 2885, SB 2938, SB 2986

SB 384, SB 599, SB 897, SB 1066, SB 1185, SB 1194, SB 1215, SB 1426, SB 1468, SB 1706, SB 1738, SB 1930, SB 2065, SCR 13, SR 448, SR 463, SR 466, SR 467